Cosby has yet to be charged with a crime but his reputation is in tatters. Allegations against Allen by his daughter Dylan, who says he molested her, have not been proven but have cast a shadow over his persona, as did his relationship with his 19 year-old stepdaughter.

Looking back at Allen's stand-up carer, journalist Samantha Allen notes that his jokes about his first ex-wife were so contemptuous that she sued him for defamation of character.